Author: DaveC
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Black Diamond Mont Blanc gloves long term review
Much though I hate to admit it, you need gloves. I have good circulation and am well acquainted with just how cold I can get without it really being a problem, so I try to do without gloves as often as possible, but too often it is just too cold. Handwear comes with inherent dexterity…
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New old places
On the face it seemed like we struck out coming and going. When we flew out of Helena it was clear as only a bitterly cold night can be, and the clear view of lights snaking south and east through Townsend and White Sulphur Springs to peter out halfway to North Dakota left me thinking…
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What makes a hardshell
To begin; I like the term hardshell far more than rain jacket, as it more fully encompasses the utility and meaning in question. Outdoor clothing is, or should be, part of a system, one that provides just enough protection from ambient conditions to keep you as warm as you want to be. Some clothing items…
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The year I grew up
It’s an inherently vain exercise, but if I had to pick a favorite moment of 2017 it would be late on the second day of my bike/packrafting trip along the Dirty Devil River. All the boat dragging, cold, and ambiguity had worn my mind to a jagged, dull edge. I made camp near the apex…
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Cabin essentials
Colorado is The Catcher in the Rye of western US states; there are many obvious and compelling reasons people like it, but that doesn’t prevent it from being total fucking bullshit. If you’re going to visit one of the forest service cabins of Montana there are a few things you should know. Out of the…
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2017 hunting in review
By the standards of past years I did not go hunting much in 2017, and in retrospect that proved the key to success. Scarcity fostered focus, both in picking how to use my time and in using my time well once I got there, which is why the three hunting trips further than 20 miles…
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Quantifying the ideal ‘mid
Pyramid shelters have become inexorably associated with modern “ultralight” backcountry travel. For me they’re a staple, one I’ve discussed extensively (most recently and completely here), that for many conditions provides a light and simple no-thought solution to whatever weather might come along. That said, I do think the utility of mids has been overstated. Their…
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La Sportiva Trango TRK review
When you go hunting, particularly hunting in the snow, you need boots. The wet feet aren’t necessarily problematic, but wet feet mean cold feet when you stop to glass. Hunting also, generally, takes you off the trail and across ridges and sidehills while carrying a heavy pack. Most people want more shoe or boot in…
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Bears Ears in crisis
Add.: Now that the alterations discussed below have become law (however, we hope, temporary) it is worth paying close attention to the reactions. Patagonia blacking out their webpage and declaring “The President Stole Your Land” is a satisfying bold statement, but companies on the REI side of the line don’t really have much to loose…
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Seek Outside Revolution review
For the two years that I’ve had it the Seek Outside Revolution frame has been absolutely indispensable. A solid, comfortable load hauling frame is very nice to have for hunting, and this fall I put it to particularly good use, but for family backpacking a true hauler has been something I cannot imagine us living…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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